Children - Babies and Pets in Your Home

With a big percentage of households having a pet in them there is cause for concern when a new baby comes into the family.

There are a number of issues that arise and these will need to be addressed to keep your baby safe if you have pets. Animals can become very jealous when there is a new member in the house and many children get injured every year by the family pet simply because of this reason. Dogs are obviously more dangerous to babies than cats but even a cat can cause harm with its claws and injury to the baby's eyes from scratches can have ongoing consequences.

Cats on the other hand might be happy enough to have the baby in the family but cats also have a tendency to 'snuggle' up to people and it is not uncommon for them to want to sleep beside a baby too.
This presents a problem where a cat can actually smother the baby and in doing so stop it from breathing. As cats have the ability to jump and climb onto and into almost anything even a crib a baby isn't safe from a cat that wants to sleep with your child.

You will need to monitor the behavior of any pets in the house when there is a new baby present and if there are problems then steps will need to be taken to make sure the baby remains safe at all times. In some circumstances it might be necessary to find a new home for the pet at least until the baby is old enough to be safe within its presence.

The more pets you have in the house the more cause you will have for concern. You can never be too cautious when it comes to the safety of your baby. When you are visiting friends or family who have pets take all the precautions necessary and keep your child in sight at all times and well away from any potential harm.